glide

[ glahyd ]

verb (used without object)

, glid·ed, glid·ing.

1. to move smoothly and continuously along, as if without effort or resistance, as a flying bird, a boat, or a skater.

   Synonyms: flow

   Antonyms: stick

2. to pass by gradual or unobservable change (often followed by along, away, by, etc.).
3. to move quietly or stealthily or without being noticed (usually followed by in, out, along, etc.).
4. Aeronautics.
   1. to move in the air, especially at an easy angle downward, with less engine power than for level flight, solely by the action of air currents and gravity, or by momentum already acquired.
   2. to fly in a glider.
5. Music. to pass from one note to another without a break.

verb (used with object)

, glid·ed, glid·ing.

1. to cause to glide.

noun

1. a gliding movement, as in dancing.
2. a dance marked by such movements.
3. Music. slur ( def 10a ).
4. Phonetics.
   1. a speech sound having the characteristics of both a consonant and a vowel, especially w in wore and y in your, and, in some analyses, r in road and l in load; semivowel.
   2. a transitional sound heard during the articulation linking two phonemically contiguous sounds, as the y- sound often heard between the i and e of quiet.
5. a calm stretch of shallow, smoothly flowing water, as in a river.
6. an act or instance of gliding.
7. Metallurgy. slip ¹( def 49 ).
8. a smooth metal plate, as on the bottom of the feet of a chair or table, to facilitate moving and to prevent scarring of floor surfaces.
9. a metal track in which a drawer, shelf, etc., moves in or out.

glide

/ ɡlaɪd /

verb

1. to move or cause to move easily without jerks or hesitations

   to glide in a boat down the river

2. intr to pass slowly or without perceptible change

   to glide into sleep

3. to cause (an aircraft) to come into land without engine power, or (of an aircraft) to land in this way
4. intr to fly a glider
5. intr music to execute a portamento from one note to another
6. intr phonetics to produce a glide

noun

1. a smooth easy movement
2. 1. any of various dances featuring gliding steps
   2. a step in such a dance
3. See glide path
   a manoeuvre in which an aircraft makes a gentle descent without engine power See also glide path
4. the act or process of gliding
5. music
   1. a long portion of tubing slipped in and out of a trombone to increase its length for the production of lower harmonic series See also valve
   2. a portamento or slur
6. phonetics
   1. a transitional sound as the speech organs pass from the articulatory position of one speech sound to that of the next, as the ( w ) sound in some pronunciations of the word doing
   2. another word for semivowel
7. See slip
   crystallog another name for slip 1
8. See glance
   cricket another word for glance 1

Derived Forms

• ˈglidingly, adverb

Other Words From

• gliding·ly adverb
• un·gliding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glide¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English gliden (verb), Old English glīdan; cognate with German gleiten

Word History and Origins

Origin of glide¹

Old English glīdan; related to Old High German glītan

Synonym Study

See slide.

Example Sentences

According to its tax records, MHS spent $91,095 per child on academics, sports, trips, mental and physical health care, scholarships and living expenses in the 2018-19 academic year — intended as a glide path to the middle class.

From ProPublica

The company may also attempt glide flights for its newly unveiled SpaceShipThree this summer.

From MIT Technology Review

VSS Imagine will soon begin ground testing, with glide flights planned for this summer from Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America base in New Mexico.

From Singularity Hub 

My new faves have a smooth glide, good hold on the uphill, solid speed on the downhill, and edges that handle well on narrow trails with mellow turns.

From Outside Online

This dual-bevel sliding miter saw comes with a glide system that allows for wider, more precise crosscuts.

From Popular-Science

Angelina Jolie was able to seemingly glide into the Vatican on Thursday to present her new film ‘Unbroken.’

From The Daily Beast

With the South Carolina GOP primary behind him, Sen. Lindsey Graham appears to be on a glide path to re-election.

From The Daily Beast

He started to glide the window back up to get out of the car, and at once the officer began to beat his gun butt on the window.

From The Daily Beast

I describe the pink hued iridescent bubbles in the bathtub, and the way they glide away from my skin as if it's made of silk.

From The Daily Beast

McAuliffe had been given a glide path to the nomination and had the active support of almost every Democratic elected official.

From The Daily Beast

Immediately the door was opened just enough to let the two men glide in; then it was shut with a bang and bolted.

From Project Gutenberg

They glide across my face with tender, soft caress, and I feel something melt within me.

From Project Gutenberg

Fortunately, childhood is protected by a resisting candour, by an enamel over which all impurities glide.

From Project Gutenberg

Then he stooped down and begun to glide along the wall, just his shoulders showing over the people's heads.

From Project Gutenberg

He noted that Sssuri had stepped up the pace, passing into his sure-footed glide which made Dalgard exert himself to keep up.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• descend
• drift
• flit
• float
• fly
• sail
• skate
• skim
• skip
• slide
• slip
• slither
• soar
• spiral
• waft

More About Glide

What does glide mean?

To glide is to move smoothly along without effort, as in Ana loved the feeling of just gliding along the ice in her new ice skates.

Glide means to move along water or air with little to no effort, as a boat might do in the water.

Glide can be used figuratively to mean to proceed through life with little care or effort. People who glide through situations appear to have done nothing to get through, although they may have done something unseen or someone may have done something for them.

To glide also means to move quietly or without being noticed, as in Carlos tried to glide by the teacher on duty, but they saw him and told him to go back to class.

As a noun, glide refers to a gliding movement, as in dancing.

Example: Once you reach the top of the hill, you can just glide all the way down.

Where does glide come from?

The first records of the term glide come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English glīdan.

One use of glide you might have heard of is in relation to the sport hang gliding, in which people hang from a large, kite-like hang glider. A glider broadly refers to an aircraft with no engine. The simplest gliders are paper airplanes, which slowly glide to their targets, but there are larger gliders, such as a space shuttle, which relies primarily on wind resistance to move and land appropriately upon re-entry into the atmosphere.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to glide?

• glidingly (adverb)
• ungliding (adjective)
• glider (noun)
• gliding (noun, verb)

What are some synonyms for glide?

• descend
• flit
• float
• sail
• soar

What are some words that share a root or word element with glide? 

• glidepath
• glider
• gliding

What are some words that often get used in discussing glide?

• bike
• bird
• water
• wind

How is glide used in real life?

Glide is a common word that refers to moving smoothly and continuously.

What are your thoughts on the released/unreleased weather changes of Chapter 3 (Tornadoes, Snow & Lightning)? And the feature where you can glide in Tornadoes.. pic.twitter.com/09RjARmD6u

— Yashiro (@itsyashiro) December 7, 2021

I really want some heelys!! Y’all remember those??? I use to just glide everywhere 😂

— Mahogany *LOX* (@MahoganyLOX) March 12, 2015

Success! All players can log in without encountering a queue. Glide/Hover back into the action!

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) February 26, 2018

Try using glide!

Is glide used correctly in the following sentence?

Harry glided through life, never having to work, because he inherited his parents” wealth.